Taken in Touraine...Abilly Palm

Blue sky and palm tree on the last Monday walk,yes it's November!
 

More from our road trip south - Saorge and a short stay in Italy!

Another hilltop village we visited by bus during our sojourn in Menton eas the village of Saorge classified as one of France’s ‘Plus Beaux Villages’ (most beautiful villages). The village clings to the mountainside above the 'Haute-Roya Valley'.

The bus drops you off just outside the village and you make your way on foot to access its maze of narrow streets and vaulted passages. Before entering the streets you are met by the village's church 'Saint-Sauveur' which is ridiculously ornate for such a small village.

The tall houses narrow lanes and steps let you know you are perched on a spot that makes you wonder why anyone would choose to build here at all, never mind create this enchanting place. 

We pretty much had the village to ourselves.

 As we walked through the village heading for a look at its monastery, one of the reason we had gone there, I noticed an interesting door with a poster attached about the church organ,out of nosiness I tried the door and to our surprise we discovered a 17th century rococo chapel, 'Chapelle Saint-Claude des Pénitents', decorated with baroque stuccoes which currently acts as the villages library!

The monastery is set at the top of a long walk up at the top of the village. 

Once you arrive its position offers great views of the surrounding landscape and the village itself. I will do a separate post on the monastery itself. 

The reference to a stay in Italy is because the route our bus took actually crossed the Italian border and carried on for just over 20km before reentering France...that's also another post!

Wednesday is for windows - another from Chedigny.

 

More on Chedigny here.

Monday's chateau - Chateau du Grand-Pressigny

 

The towers of Chateau du Grand-Pressigny in autumn gold.

Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench in Tours

Tours

Saturday on the streets of Touraine...in Amboise

 

Rue Nationale in Amboise.

Have a good weekend everyone. Bon week-end à tous.

 The river Creuse at Barrou in Southern Touraine.

Taken in Touraine...Abilly

L'île de la Claise from the bridge over the river Claise at Abilly in Southern Touraine.

Wednesday for windows - a little topper.

 

Finally got around to undercoating the last bits of the front windows plus fitting a zinc topper on the former shop sign, Had been quoted 500 euros (!) by one company and my other request for a quote fell on deaf ears. A friend supplied a bit of zinc and I fitted in myself - job done!  

Wednesday for windows - Tours

 

Pas de fumer sur la Place Plumereau à Tours.

Monday's walk near Abilly.

 

With the cessation of the rather long period of wet weather, which we avoided much of with our road trip south, Fabrice was able to at last organise Monday's walk at Abilly after having to have postponed it a few times.

We managed to complete the walk with only a little spattering of rain and some cloud which cleared as we ended the walk.

Monday's Loire Valley chateau - Chateau de Luynes.

One of the lesser known castles of the Loire Valley, Chateau de Luynes closed its doors to visitors back in 2016. Lucky enough to have visited the inside but do recall a very enthusiastic guide unpicking every thread of their impressive tapestries!

Mon banc dominical/My Sunday Bench in Loches.

 

You can buy your own  from  Art & Antiques Pl. de l'Hôtel de ville in Loches.

On the streets of Touraine...in Loches.

Looking down on rue du Chateau on the left and rue des Fossés Saint-Ours on the right. Taken from the top of the 'Porte Royale' accessed from the gardens of  the Lansyer Museum in Loches.